Blogshttp://www.maclife.com/taxonomy/term/6161/all
enOvernight Recap: iWork for iCloud Update, Acronis True Image for Mac, FireChathttp://www.maclife.com/article/news/overnight_recap_iwork_icloud_update_acronis_true_image_mac_firechat
<!--paging_filter--><p><img src="/files/u220903/introducing_iwork_for_icloud_620px.png" alt="iWork for iCloud" width="620" height="300" /></p><p>Google's I/O developer conference kicks off today in San Francisco, and perhaps as a preview of things to come, <a href="http://www.theverge.com/2014/6/24/5837254/freemium-apps-dominate-google-play-revenues" target="_blank">The Verge reported yesterday</a> that freemium apps on Google Play now account for 98 percent of worldwide revenue for the Android platform. Curiously, Japan is billed as "the world's biggest spender" on in-app purchases thanks to "addictive mobile games," but here's hoping this trend doesn't absorb the iOS App Store as well. Here's a handful of other tidbits you might have missed on Tuesday...</p><h3>iWork for iCloud Updated with Last Used Document Settings</h3><p><a href="http://www.loopinsight.com/2014/06/24/iwork-for-icloud-updated/" target="_blank">The Loop reported Tuesday</a> that Apple quietly updated iWork for iCloud, allowing the web-based versions of Pages, Numbers, and Keynote to remember the last used document settings, including zoom level, show/hide guides or format panels, and much more. The web apps also now suggest your most recent screen name when opening shared documents, adds the ability to right-click to mask images and now includes tips on using keyboard shortcuts for cut, copy, and paste when right-clicking objects.</p><h3>Acronis Debuts Personal Backup Solution for Mac Users</h3><p>Data protection leader <a href="http://www.prweb.com/releases/2014/06/prweb11969534.htm" target="_blank">Acronis announced Tuesday</a> the availability of Acronis True Image for Mac, which the software maker touts as "the only full system image backup solution offering dual protection" for Apple desktops and laptops. Previously available only for Windows, Acronis True Image for Mac backs up the entire system, applications, user data, and settings both locally and online, and is also capable of backing up and restoring a Parallels Desktop virtual machine in its active state, complete with all Windows applications, documents, and settings. Acronis True Image for Mac is now available for $49.99 for a single computer, or a three-Mac license for $79.99; Acronis Cloud storage starts at $2.99 per month for 50GB.</p><h3>FireChat Update Enables Chat Between iOS, Android Devices</h3><p><a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/firechat/id719829352?mt=8" target="_blank">Open Garden released FireChat for iOS 2.5.1 this week</a>, an update the company says should have been called version 3.0 for one new feature alone: The ability to chat off the grid between iOS and Android devices. Previous versions were unable to hop the platform pond and communicate with Android smartphones or tablets — an oversight that's now been rectified. The app also now allows users to create "firechats" and invite friends for "live and anonymous discussions" with just a few clicks, in addition to joining chats already in progress all over the world.</p><h3>Apple's New Retail VP Now Blogging on LinkedIn</h3><p>Now here's something we thought we'd never see from an Apple executive: A blog post on LinkedIn. Senior vice president of Apple retail Angela Ahrendts <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/today/post/article/20140623211315-269697626-starting-anew" target="_blank">did just that on Monday</a> with a post entitled "Starting Anew," and although she never specifically mentioned Apple by name, she openly discusses some of the challenges in making a "life-altering decision to start anew." The post seems to fall in line with what many are calling "the new, more open Apple" with CEO Tim Cook at the helm, which has seen Cook and marketing boss Phil Schiller both actively posting on Twitter these days.</p><h3>Pebble Partners with Misfit for Fitness Tracker, iOS App Incoming</h3><p>One of the better smartwatch contenders just got a little more awesome Tuesday as <a href="https://blog.getpebble.com/2014/06/24/pebble-makes-fitness-shine-partners-with-misfit/" target="_blank">Pebble announced a partnership with Misfit</a> for a new watchapp that counts steps and tracks activity using nothing more than the device already strapped to their wrist. The makers of the Shine fitness tracker are also promising an iOS app update coming soon that adds support for Pebble watches and will track additional metrics including calories burned and distance traveled, with additional functionality promised from the two companies in future updates.<br /><br /><em>Follow this article’s author, <a href="https://twitter.com/JRBTempe" target="_blank">J.R. Bookwalter on Twitter</a></em></p><p>&nbsp;</p>http://www.maclife.com/article/news/overnight_recap_iwork_icloud_update_acronis_true_image_mac_firechat#commentsNewsAcronisandroidAngela AhrendtsbackupsBlogsFireChatiWork for iCloudlinkedinMisfitovernight recappebbleiPadiPhoneiPodMacWed, 25 Jun 2014 12:25:03 +0000J.R. Bookwalter20209 at http://www.maclife.comOvernight Recap: Google Docs Add-Ons, Vevo SXSW, Verbs IM 3.0, Office Bloghttp://www.maclife.com/article/news/overnight_recap_google_docs_addons_vevo_sxsw_verbs_im_30_office_blog
<!--paging_filter--><p><img src="/files/u220903/google_docs_add-ons_620px.png" alt="Google Docs add-ons" width="620" height="300" /></p><p>Judging from our Twitter feed, last night's debut of iTunes Festival SXSW was a rousing success, with Apple executives among the ranks of those attending in Austin. And there are still four more days to go, which is plenty of time to tune into the Vevo website or iOS apps to catch more of the fun. That tidbit and more make up our Tuesday recap...</p><h3>Google Delivers Add-Ons for Docs, Sheets</h3><p>Everyone likes a little something extra, and now users of the cloud-based Google Docs and Sheets can spice up their experience as well. <a href="http://googledrive.blogspot.com/2014/03/add-ons.html" target="_blank">The Google Drive Blog announced Tuesday</a> the debut of a new Add-ons menu, which will expand the range of things users can do with their documents and spreadsheets. Just a few examples of new add-ons include Avery Label Merge, EasyBib Bibliography Creator, Merge by Mailchimp and Letter Feed Workflows, which aid the task of collecting approvals or feedback. Google promises there are "lots more on the way," which should help make Google Docs and Sheets a whole lot more like Microsoft Office as time goes on.</p><h3>Vevo Offers Another Way to Stream iTunes Festival SXSW</h3><p>No Apple TV and have a general aversion to downloading a separate app just to watch the iTunes Festival going down at SXSW? <a href="http://www.vevo.com/c/EN/US/news/itunes-festival-at-sxsw" target="_blank">Vevo announced Tuesday</a> that users of its iOS apps or website will also be able to tune into the proceedings -- but only if you're using the Mac version of Safari, for what should be fairly obvious reasons. Okay, so that's not really much better than just downloading the official iTunes Festival app since you can't watch from Windows or other mobile platforms, but free is free, and there's still four more nights of music to go, folks.</p><h3>Verbs IM Hits 3.0 with iOS 7 Support, No More In-App Purchases</h3><p>One of the better mobile instant messaging solutions for iOS is back, and judging from the release notes, it's better than ever.<a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/verbs-im/id392501688?mt=8" target="_blank"> Verbs IM 3.0 </a>delivers Google Talk, AIM and Jabber chat to the iPhone, iPod touch or iPad, now with a fresh new look for iOS 7 and "completely rewritten server-side code." Chat messages now sync in real time across devices with file sharing support for both iCloud and Dropbox. Best of all, the former Verbs Pro in-app purchase is history, which means the developers are giving all users all of its features for a one-time payment of $2.99. That tapping noise you hear may be the sound of hundreds of users rushing to download it from the App Store...</p><h3>Microsoft Shuts Down Office for Mac Blog</h3><p>Lost amongst yesterday's news that a new version of Office for Mac is on the way was <a href="http://blog.officeformac.com/office-for-mac-blog-is-moving/" target="_blank">a brief announcement made Monday</a> on the official Microsoft blog: "The Office for Mac blog is moving," the post reads. "You’ll still be able to access previous Office for Mac posts here, but as of today, no new posts will appear." The move appears to be nothing more than a little housecleaning on Microsoft's website, since the Office for Mac blog is winding up being rolled into the all-encompassing <a href="http://blogs.office.com/?filter=true&amp;filter-product=office-for-mac" target="_blank">Office Blogs</a>, which now include a specific searchable option for Mac users. RIP Office for Mac Blog, and here's hoping you won't forget about us once the new version hits later this year.</p><h3>Rumors of Flappy Bird's Demise May Be Greatly Exaggerated</h3><p><a href="http://www.rollingstone.com/culture/news/the-flight-of-the-birdman-flappy-bird-creator-dong-nguyen-speaks-out-20140311" target="_blank"><em>Rolling Stone</em> published a sprawling interview</a> with Flappy Bird creator Dong Nguyen, the man many gamers have come to hate after he pulled their favorite mobile game for being too addictive. That's a somewhat ironic move considering the 28-year-old Vietnamese developer is described as a "chain-smoking geek," but there's hope yet for that bird to flap its wings in the App Store again. "I'm considering it," Nguyen says, but adds that any rerelease would come with a disclaimer reminding players to "please take a break." The full interview will appear in the March 27 issue.<br /><br /><em>Follow this article’s author, <a href="http://twitter.com/JRBTempe" target="_blank">J.R. Bookwalter on Twitter</a></em></p><p>&nbsp;</p>http://www.maclife.com/article/news/overnight_recap_google_docs_addons_vevo_sxsw_verbs_im_30_office_blog#commentsNewsadd-onsBlogsflappy birdGoogle DocsGoogle DriveiTunes FestivalOffice for Macovernight recapSXSWVerbs IMVEVOiPadiPhoneiPodMacWed, 12 Mar 2014 12:31:47 +0000J.R. Bookwalter19533 at http://www.maclife.comSnapjoy Announces Shutdown 6 Months After Dropbox Acquisitionhttp://www.maclife.com/article/news/snapjoy_announces_shutdown_6_months_after_dropbox_acquisition
<!--paging_filter--><p><img src="/files/u220903/snapjoy_best_place_620px.png" alt="Snapjoy: The best place to enjoy your photos" width="620" height="300" /></p><p>If there's one thing users fear most, it's their favorite product or service being shut down in the wake of an acquisition by a bigger company. This week saw the demise of another, and we have Dropbox to blame.<br /><br /><a href="http://blog.snapjoy.com/2013/snapjoy-is-closing/" target="_blank">Snapjoy announced Saturday</a> that its popular app and accompanying service are going away, only six months after <a href="http://blog.snapjoy.com/2012/snapjoy-joins-dropbox/" target="_blank">being acquired by Dropbox</a>. While the service hasn't accepted new signups since the December deal was announced, existing users have been able to use Snapjoy -- until this weekend.<br /><br />"After two years of building Snapjoy, the time has come for us to shut down the service," the brief blog post explains. "It's been a journey unlike anything we'd imagined, and we can't thank you enough for your support and input along the way.<br /><br />"As of today, June 22nd, no more photos can be imported into Snapjoy and the Snapjoy iPhone app will no longer be available," the post continues. "Your photos will be available to download until July 24th from the website. After July 24th, all photos and data will be permanently deleted."<br /><br />Snapjoy users are encouraged to <a href="https://www.snapjoy.com/export" target="_blank">visit this link</a> to login and download a ZIP file containing their photos, and now the wait begins to see if Dropbox has done something cool with the service…<br /><br /><em>Follow this article’s author, <a href="http://twitter.com/JRBTempe" target="_blank">J.R. Bookwalter on Twitter</a></em></p><p>&nbsp;</p>http://www.maclife.com/article/news/snapjoy_announces_shutdown_6_months_after_dropbox_acquisition#commentsNewsacquisitionsApp StoreBlogscloud servicesdigital photosdownloadsDropboximagesShutdownSnapjoyiPadiPhoneiPodMacMon, 24 Jun 2013 13:01:56 +0000J.R. Bookwalter17354 at http://www.maclife.comYahoo! Acquires Tumblr in $1.1B Cash Dealhttp://www.maclife.com/article/news/yahoo_acquires_tumblr_11b_cash_deal
<!--paging_filter--><p><img src="/files/u220903/yahoo_office_building_200px.jpg" alt="Yahoo! office building" width="200" height="150" class="graphic-right" />From rumor to reality in the space of a weekend: Yahoo! is now the proud owner of blogger favorite Tumblr, which will now be operated as an independent entity with a promise it won't be screwed up.<br /><br /><a href="http://allthingsd.com/20130519/yahoo-tumblrs-for-cool-board-approves-1-1-billion-deal/" target="_blank">As first revealed by AllThingsD</a> over the weekend, <a href="http://yahoo.tumblr.com/post/50902111638/tumblr-yahoo" target="_blank">Yahoo! CEO Marissa Meyer announced Monday</a> that the company has reached an agreement to acquire Tumblr in a deal <a href="http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20130520005659/en/Yahoo%21-Acquire-Tumblr" target="_blank">valued at roughly $1.1 billion</a>.<br /><br />"We promise not to screw it up," Meyer writes in a blog about the deal. "Tumblr is incredibly special and has a great thing going. We will operate Tumblr independently. David Karp will remain CEO. The product roadmap, their team, their wit and irreverence will all remain the same as will their mission to empower creators to make their best work and get it in front of the audience they deserve. Yahoo! will help Tumblr get even better, faster."<br /><br />With 105 million blogs, 300 million monthly visitors and 120,000 signups per day, the acquisition of Tumblr certainly makes sense for former Google executive Meyer, although not everyone is thrilled with the news.<br /><br /><a href="http://ma.tt/2013/05/yahooblr/" target="_blank">According to WordPress CEO Matt Mullenweg</a>, the fast-spreading rumors reached a peak on Sunday night, when his company saw 72,000 defections from Tumblr to WordPress in a single hour -- a number that's usually in the range of 400 to 600 per hour.<br /><br /><em>Follow this article’s author, <a href="http://twitter.com/JRBTempe" target="_blank">J.R. Bookwalter on Twitter</a></em></p><p>&nbsp;</p>http://www.maclife.com/article/news/yahoo_acquires_tumblr_11b_cash_deal#commentsNewsacquisitionsAllThingsDBlogsCEODealsdefectionsindependentMarissa MeyerTumblrwordpressyahooMon, 20 May 2013 12:57:02 +0000J.R. Bookwalter17035 at http://www.maclife.comAmazon Introduces Free Send to Kindle Button for Web Publishershttp://www.maclife.com/article/news/amazon_introduces_free_send_kindle_button_web_publishers
<!--paging_filter--><p><img src="/files/u220903/send_to_kindle_200px.png" alt="Send to Kindle" width="200" height="150" class="graphic-right" />It's taken them long enough, but e-tailer Amazon is finally launching an offensive against "read later" services such as Instapaper and Pocket, allowing readers to add articles to their Kindle with a click from most anywhere.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.kindlepost.com/2013/03/send-to-kindle-button.html" target="_blank">Amazon's Kindle Daily Post has announced</a> that it's making it easy for web publishers to add a "Send to Kindle" button to their websites, with <em>The Washington Post</em>, <em>TIME</em> and popular blog Boing Boing among the first to implement the service.<br /><br />"Have you ever encountered news, blogs, articles and other content on the web that you want to read but don't have time to do so immediately?" the blog post queries. "The Send to Kindle Button lets you easily send that content to your Kindle to read later, at your convenience. Just send once and read everywhere on any of your Kindle devices or free Kindle reading apps for iPhone, iPad and Android phones or tablets."<br /><br />That should sound quite familiar to users of services like Instapaper and Pocket, who have been serving up content in the exact same way almost since the iPhone debuted. To Amazon's credit, however, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/sendtokindle" target="_blank">Send to Kindle has existed</a> on the Mac, PC, Chrome and Firefox for quite some time as well.<br /><br />Have a website and want to offer a Send to Kindle button on it? <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/sendtokindle/developers/button" target="_blank">Amazon is offering it free for web publishers</a>, with <a href="http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/send-to-kindle/" target="_blank">a separate plugin also available for WordPress blogs</a>.<br /><br /><em>Follow this article’s author, <a href="http://twitter.com/JRBTempe" target="_blank">J.R. Bookwalter on Twitter</a></em></p><p>&nbsp;</p>http://www.maclife.com/article/news/amazon_introduces_free_send_kindle_button_web_publishers#commentsNewsAmazonBlogsfree servicesInstapaperPocketread laterSend to Kindleweb publisherswebsiteswordpressiPadiPhoneiPodMacWed, 20 Mar 2013 12:55:56 +0000J.R. Bookwalter16525 at http://www.maclife.comVideo: A Peek Into the Making of Photoshop CS6, By the Numbershttp://www.maclife.com/article/news/video_peek_making_photoshop_cs6_numbers
<!--paging_filter--><p><img src="/files/u220903/adobe_thanks_photoshop_fans_200px.png" alt="Adobe thanks Photoshop fans" width="200" height="150" class="graphic-right" />Ever been curious about the work that goes into creating a new version of Photoshop, especially one with as many changes as CS6? Adobe is celebrating five million Facebook fans with a peek behind the scenes.<br /><br /><a href="http://blogs.adobe.com/photoshopdotcom/2013/03/5-million-fans-to-thank.html" target="_blank">Adobe's Photoshop.com Blog has announced</a> it has now crossed the five million fans mark on its Facebook page, and to celebrate the company is presenting a video that chronicles, the blood, sweat, tears and yes, beers that went into creating Photoshop CS6.<br /><br />"What better way to celebrate our loyal Fans than to compile some lesser-known facts about the production of Photoshop CS6," the blog post reads. "How many user-suggested features were added? How many lines of code did it take to finish the program? And perhaps most important of all, how many cases of beer were consumed during production?"<br /><br />You'll want to check out the full video embedded below to get all the details (it's only a minute long), but in case you're the type who wants to cut to the chase: Photoshop CS6 added 65 new features requested by users, has 4.5 million lines of code and the engineers consumed 601 cases of beer during production.<br /><br /><em>Follow this article’s author, <a href="http://twitter.com/JRBTempe" target="_blank">J.R. Bookwalter on Twitter<br /></a></em></p><p><iframe src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/4jXoSmn5BB8" width="620" height="349" frameborder="0"></iframe></p>http://www.maclife.com/article/news/video_peek_making_photoshop_cs6_numbers#commentsNews5 millionAdobeBlogscodeCreative Suite 6FacebookfactoidsfansPhotoshop CS6productionstatisticsVideosMacTue, 19 Mar 2013 13:38:50 +0000J.R. Bookwalter16515 at http://www.maclife.comInstagram Responds to Outrage Over New Terms of Servicehttp://www.maclife.com/article/news/instagram_responds_outrage_over_new_terms_service
<!--paging_filter--><p><img src="/files/u220903/instagram_icon_200px.png" alt="Instagram" width="200" height="150" class="graphic-right" />If you count yourself among those hostile to Instagram's new terms of service rolling out next month, the social network wants you to know they've heard your complaints and may or may not be doing something about it.<br /><br /><a href="http://blog.instagram.com/post/38252135408/thank-you-and-were-listening" target="_blank">Instagram has responded</a> to vocal critics displeased with the social network's changes to its privacy policy and terms of service, which take effect on January 16. Calling the revised legal documents "easy to misinterpret," the company is hoping to head mass defections from its popular photo sharing service before things get any worse.<br /><br />Co-founder Kevin Systrom wrote a blog post entitled "Thank you, and we're listening" on Tuesday, in which the company hopes better explain what it intends to do with the photos you upload to the service.<br /><br />"I’m writing this today to let you know we’re listening and to commit to you that we will be doing more to answer your questions, fix any mistakes, and eliminate the confusion," Systrom writes. "As we review your feedback and stories in the press, we’re going to modify specific parts of the terms to make it more clear what will happen with your photos."<br /><br />Make no mistake: Users will continue to own their photos, same as always -- but Instagram was clearly hoping to leverage these images in an effort to raise advertising revenue to make the service "a self-sustaining business." The company denies that was the intention, and is working on updating the language used to explain this.<br /><br />In the meantime, the PR damage may be done: Scores of users have taken to Twitter and Facebook in the last day to rage against the machine, many even taking the extreme step of deleting their images and account completely from Instagram.<br /><br /><em>Follow this article’s author, <a href="http://twitter.com/JRBTempe" target="_blank">J.R. Bookwalter on Twitter</a></em></p><p>&nbsp;</p>http://www.maclife.com/article/news/instagram_responds_outrage_over_new_terms_service#commentsNewsBlogsdigital photosFacebookimagesinstagrammobile advertisingPhotosprivacysocial networksTerms of ServiceiPhoneiPodWed, 19 Dec 2012 13:51:45 +0000J.R. Bookwalter15841 at http://www.maclife.comMicrosoft SkyDrive Bug Trips Up Opera Browserhttp://www.maclife.com/article/news/microsoft_skydrive_bug_trips_opera_browser
<!--paging_filter--><p><img src="/files/u220903/opera_skydrive_source_code_200px.png" alt="Opera SkyDrive source code" width="200" height="150" class="graphic-right" />We've heard of software bugs causing strange problems before, but never something like two million NULL characters causing a web browser to simply hang up and slam the CPU like this.<br /><br /><a href="http://my.opera.com/hallvors/blog/2012/11/12/microsoft-sends-two-million-null-characters-hangs-opera" target="_blank">Opera Core Quality Assurance part-timer Hallvord R.M. Steen took to his Miscoded blog Monday</a> with news that a strange bug in Microsoft SkyDrive was wreaking havoc on his favorite web browser, hanging it up completely and forcing the app to consume 100 percent of his CPU.<br /><br />After ruling out some rogue JavaScript or plugin, further detective work turned up an issue with Microsoft SkyDrive which "sends a local of unexpected NULL characters" right in the middle of the source code -- two million of them!<br /><br />Apparently, browsers like Firefox are able to ward off the unexpected NULL characters better than Opera, which Steen is hoping to see fixed soon.<br /><br />"Meanwhile, here's another strange but great example of how testing in multiple browsers can make you uncover mistakes you never expected to make," the Norwegian part-timer concludes.<br /><br />No word on whether this bug affects the Mac version or only Windows.<br /><br /><em>Follow this article’s author, J.R. Bookwalter on Twitter</em></p><p>&nbsp;</p>http://www.maclife.com/article/news/microsoft_skydrive_bug_trips_opera_browser#commentsNewsBlogsBugscodingFirefoxMicrosoftMicrosoft SkyDriveNULLOperaSkyDrivesource codeweb browsersTue, 13 Nov 2012 14:00:24 +0000J.R. Bookwalter15569 at http://www.maclife.comSpool Service Shuts Down, Development Team Heads to Facebookhttp://www.maclife.com/article/news/spool_service_shuts_down_development_team_heads_facebook
<!--paging_filter--><p><img src="/files/u220903/spool_app_logo_200px.png" alt="Spool" width="200" height="150" class="graphic-right" />Although it never graduated from a beta release, the Spool app showed a lot of promise as a kind of Instapaper service which added the ability to DVR online video content for later viewing -- and now, it's gone, just like that.<br /><br />The creators of Spool sent out emails to users over the weekend, <a href="http://blog.getspool.com/" target="_blank">unceremoniously announcing that the service had closed up shop effective immediately</a> -- but not before providing users with an HTML file containing any bookmarks they had saved with the beta service.<br /><br />"Thank you for using Spool and providing feedback during our beta period," the company wrote via email, <a href="http://blog.getspool.com/" target="_blank">which was cross-posted on their blog</a>. "It’s been a pleasure to build Spool for you and we’ve been flattered with the overwhelmingly positive feedback we’ve received. However, after careful consideration, we’ve decided to pursue our vision in a new way. If you were a Spool user, we’ve provided instructions on how to use your bookmarks in another service."<br /><br />The move came without warning, and while users who only read the email were uncertain as to why the company made the sudden move, those who headed to their website (<a href="http://blog.getspool.com/" target="_blank">which now routes straight to the blog</a>) quickly discovered the real reason.<br /><br />"We are proud to announce that today we will be pursuing our vision as a part of Facebook," a second post on Saturday, July 14 reads. "We are extremely excited to accelerate our vision and help Facebook’s users connect and share with the people in their lives. We wouldn’t be in a position to have this sort of impact without our supporters and the Spool community. Please accept a heartfelt thank you for supporting us and for affording us this opportunity."<br /><br />For Spool fans bummed out about being orphaned, <a href="http://blog.getspool.com/instructions/" target="_blank">the folks at Pocket have created a special import tool for porting those Spool bookmarks straight into their app</a>, which should make a fairly smooth transition.<br /><br /><em>Follow this article’s author, <a href="http://www.twitter.com/JRBTempe" target="_blank">J.R. Bookwalter on Twitter</a></em></p><p>&nbsp;</p>http://www.maclife.com/article/news/spool_service_shuts_down_development_team_heads_facebook#commentsNewsacquisitionsApp Storebetabeta periodBlogsBookmarksFacebookonline servicesonline videoPocketSpooliPadiPhoneiPodMon, 16 Jul 2012 12:59:48 +0000J.R. Bookwalter14559 at http://www.maclife.comApp Showdown: Google Readershttp://www.maclife.com/article/reviews/app_showdown_google_readers
<!--paging_filter--><p><img src="/files/u124583/rssreaders.png" alt="readers" width="600" height="200" /><img src="/files/u124583/rssreaders.png" width="0" height="0" /></p><p>RSS is a great way of catching up with news in this fast-paced world. We've taken a look at apps that turn your RSS feeds into <a href="http://www.maclife.com/article/reviews/app_showdown_rss_newspapers">magazine layouts</a>, but maybe you don't have an iPad or maybe you want a more stripped down list for your news. Whichever your flavor, there are more than enough to choose from. All three apps this week feature list organization and caching of articles for offline reading, but what sets them apart and turns a good RSS reader into a great one?</p><h3>Feeddler RSS Reader Pro ($4.99/Universal)</h3><p>Developer C.B. Liu has one of the highest rated RSS readers on the market and no wonder. Fast, slick, intuitive, <a href="http://bit.ly/vqKzd8">Feeddler</a> handles your feeds with grace. You'll need a Google Reader account to get started, and that's really still the fastest way to add RSS feeds to your account, though Feeddler allows you to add with the press of a button. Two way syncing means what you read anywhere is marked "read" everywhere and changes made in one place show up in all of them.&nbsp;</p><p><img src="/files/u124583/feeddler1.png" alt="f1" width="320" height="480" /></p><p><strong>Organize your reading in easy categories</strong></p><p>The UI has been kept simple, though each of the buttons in the app pack loads of options. The subscription management breaks things into groups. At the top is a quick link to all the items in your account, followed by articles you've starred previously, and ones you've shared. If you've organized your feeds into folders, this category follows separately. Broken out below that are your feeds. From here tap the + to add new feeds, the G to edit your subscription list, and the gear icon to delve deep into the app's settings.&nbsp;</p><p><img src="/files/u124583/feeddler_2.png" alt="f2" width="320" height="480" /></p><p><strong>Sort those stories for maximum relevancy</strong></p><p>Tap a subscription to see all the articles then manage them using the top buttons to sort. Tap an article to be taken to a page with an image from the article and an intro paragraph. Tap the Full Text button to be taken to a mobilized version of the page. In the article view, five buttons appear across the bottom. Two navigation arrows, a star to quickly flag an article, a Google G that gives you a plethora of management options, and the share button with all the usual ways to do just that.</p><p><img src="/files/u124583/feedler3.png" alt="f3." width="320" height="480" /></p><p><strong>Handsomely presente stories make this a pleasure</strong></p><p>On the iPad, the same scheme rules. Instead of separate pages, the list of your articles makes up the bigger right hand side of the screen in landscape orientation, while the folders and subscription list makes up the left. In portrait, subscription management and settings are in overlay drop downs.</p><p><img src="/files/u124583/feedler4.png" alt="F4" width="600" height="450" /></p><p><strong>Not a whole lot going on differently as an iPad app</strong></p><p>Feeddler is simple to get started with and simple to use. Our only complaint is that we are promised multiple account management, though that's actually coming in an update. For now, mulitple account support means signing out of one and signing in to another.</p><h3>Reeder ($2.99/iPhone)<br />Reeder for iPad ($4.99/iPad)</h3><p>Silvio Rizzi's Reeder family of apps are beloved on the internets, whether as <a href="http://bit.ly/ttzJQ3">iPhone</a> or <a href="http://bit.ly/vLtGxl">iPad</a> version. What Feeddler did with simplicity, Reeder goes one better. Sign in with your Google Reader credentials and you're presented with a list of your feeds. Four minuscule buttons cross the app's bottom presenting your starred articles when you tap the star, your unread upon tapping the dot, and all items under the three line list icon. Tap a feed subscription and you're taken to the list of articles. Tap an article to get something similar to what we've seen in Feeddler.</p><p><img src="/files/u124583/reedler1.png" alt="r1" width="320" height="480" /></p><p><strong>Not a lot of clutter in your subscriptions</strong></p><p>A main title bar meets you at the top of the article screen with a single main picture below and a one paragraph caption. Tap the title bar to the article itself or tap the Readability icon in the top to get a mobilely optimized version of the page. Across the article page bottom is a circle, a star, two arrows, and a sharing button. The circle marks the article as unread, the star does what you expect, the arrows move you through articles, and the Share button throws the various social sites up on the screen.&nbsp;</p><p><img src="/files/u124583/reeder2.png" alt="r2" width="320" height="480" /></p><p><strong>Beautiful, just beautiful...uh, the app too</strong></p><p>On the iPad, Reeder does something rather different than merely imitating the iPhone version but larger layout. Here, your feeds, instead of being lists are set up as tiles. If you've organized your RSS subscriptions into folders, they appear as a slightly unaligned stack, reminiscent of the iPad's photo albums. Tap a folder and all the articles from all the subscriptions turn up as one long list. Pinch a folder to expand it out to see the individual feeds within.</p><p><img src="/files/u124583/reeder3.png" alt="r3" width="600" height="450" /></p><p><strong>Stacks of stuff to read; pinch to open up folders</strong></p><p>Reeder also puts navigation into the swipes. In your article list, swipe right across an article to return it to unread status and swipe left to star an article. In the reading page swipe up and down to advance or go back one story.&nbsp;</p><p><img src="/files/u124583/reeder4.png" alt="r4" width="320" height="480" /></p><p><strong>Lots of sharing options here</strong></p><p>Reeder also tosses in Google's and Instapaper's mobilizer if you prefer the stripped down version of one of these services. That's really all there is to it. Deeper settings can be found in the iPhone's Settings app. Want to turn off some sharing options, for instance, if you don't have a Zootool account? Here's where you'd do it. Larger fonts? Higher contrast? &nbsp;How long to keep unread articles? Cache images or not? Show an unread badge? All of that and more. This keeps Reeder's interface pleasantly simple, though if you are a settings tinkerer it may be less than ideal to have to hunt these down.</p><h3>iReadG offline RSS news reader for Google Reader ($2.99/iPhone)</h3><h3>Perfect RSS Reader ($1.99/iPad)</h3><p>Someone will have to explain to us how developer Perkin Tang sees a price increase from $1.99 to $2.99 as being a special sale in honor of his new iPad RSS reader, but we'll leave that aside for a bit. We've been using the iPhone version of <a href="http://bit.ly/vimnlr">iReadG</a>&nbsp;embiggened on our iPad because we really liked the feel and look of this app in its iPhone iteration.&nbsp;</p><p>The iPad app goes, oddly enough, under the name <a href="http://bit.ly/tl69ot">Perfect RSS Reader</a>. This is odd for two reasons: 1. we can't see why you'd muddy the market by naming your iPad version something completely different, and 2. as much as we loved the iPhone version, the iPad app was less than perfect.</p><p><img src="/files/u124583/ireadg1.png" alt="i1" width="320" height="480" /></p><p><strong>Nice interfact and a look at my account</strong></p><p>What sets iReadG apart as an iPhone app is the simplicity of signing into multiple accounts. We have three Gmail accounts and read things of different interest and focus depending on the email's function. Being able to quickly swap back and forth is ideal. The iPad's version ports over this same ease of multiple accounts.</p><p><img src="/files/u124583/iread2.png" alt="i2" width="320" height="480" /></p><p><strong>Thumbnails show you what's what in Play</strong></p><p>One of the features we absolutely adore in the iPhone version of this app is the Play feature, similar to Google Reader's own Play view. Tap the television icon at the screen's bottom and the feature image from every story is presented to you as a photo album. Flip through images and when you see a compelling one, tap on it to go to the story. Articles are presented using the mobilizers to cut down on extraneous web page clutter.</p><p><img src="/files/u124583/iread3.png" alt="i3" width="320" height="480" /></p><p><strong>Mobilized and with lots of controls</strong></p><p>Where iReadG stumbles is with syncing. It can grab all your feeds and update them but the auto-update frequently doesn't work and you're forced into manually sending the app to gather your news. This is a small deal on the iPhone -- a tap of a button, really -- but the braggingly named Perfect routinely failed to update our feeds. It has three means of performing this function (pull down on the list, tap the "load more" link, or tap the circular arrow at the app's bottom. We've tried all three, repeatedly with no luck. The goodwill built up by the iPhone app is squandered on the iPad.</p><p><img src="/files/u124583/perfect1.png" alt="i4" width="600" height="450" /></p><p><strong>Pretty, but nothing special and it makes us work to get those stories</strong></p><p>Both apps sport gestures. In iReadG, this is pulling down to go to previous articles and up for the next article as well as pulling right to return to the previous management page. In the iPad version there are seven possible gestures, though only two are turned on by default.&nbsp;</p><p>Five buttons grace the bottom of the iPhone app: the above mentioned television, a settings gear, a person's silhouette to go to your Reader profile, a globe to see the comment view of your feeds, and the ubiquitous RSS symbol for your feeds. Within a subscription list you can tap the check to mark all articles as "read," the television returns to give you a list specific photo album, and a trashcan to delete all articles.&nbsp;</p><p><img src="/files/u124583/ireadg4.png" alt="i5" width="320" height="480" /></p><p><strong>Decent interface for subscription management</strong></p><p>The main page of the iPad version has sixteen buttons ranging from altering text size to sharing to managing your subscriptions. Looking deeper at the two apps, it's no wonder the names are changed, as Perfect falls well short of that name, while iReadG has some of the best reading management we've enjoyed.&nbsp;</p><h3>Bury the Lede:</h3><p>This article ends up giving us a split decision.&nbsp;</p><p>We'll admit we were pumped by the idea of an iPad version of iReadG and had high expectations. Just how far short the iPad app fell almost tainted our experience with our precious. We still adore it on our iPhone and recommend it as far more feature rich and enjoyable to use than the other iPhone RSS readers. It does everything we want and does it neatly.</p><p>For the iPad, we'd love to join in the chorus praising Reeder. Behind its cleanly designed interface, the app packs a wallop of power. The design belies that but the UI also does what we want, which is get out of our way and let us enjoy our articles. The biggest weakness with Reeder is that it is consumption only. There is no way to add new feeds or manage your feeds from within the app. Until Reeder gets that sorted out, we have to recommend Feeddler.&nbsp;</p><p>We feel we've given Feeddler short shrift. It's solid; it's dependable. Sure, it isn't as flashy as the other two apps, but if you're looking for a solid Google Reader management app, then Feedler gets the job done and then some. Another notch in its favor is that its universality means one price solves all your problems, while both its competitors this week force you into separate purchases.&nbsp;</p>http://www.maclife.com/article/reviews/app_showdown_google_readers#commentsReviewsapp showdownAppLifeAppsBlogsFeeddlerGoogleGoogle ReaderiPadiphoneiReadGnewsofflinePerfect RSSReederRSSRSS FeedsiPadiPhoneiPodTue, 29 Nov 2011 18:30:00 +0000J Keirn-Swanson12867 at http://www.maclife.comCrumplePop Introduces Noir Moderne, Defends Final Cut Pro Xhttp://www.maclife.com/article/news/crumplepop_introduces_noir_moderne_defends_final_cut_pro_x
<!--paging_filter--><p><img src="/files/u220903/crumplepop_noir_moderne_200px.jpg" alt="CrumplePop Noir Moderne" width="200" height="150" class="graphic-right" />With all of the (mostly) negative press that Final Cut Pro X has received since its introduction last month, one particularly vital group has been all but drowned out -- third-party developers such as CrumplePop, who are throwing their support firmly behind Apple’s next-generation editing software.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.crumplepop.com/blog/?p=369" target="_blank">CrumplePop has posted a blog</a> entitled “Why we’re betting everything on FCPX,” outlining a handful of key reasons why the company plans to flow against the tide and start concentrating development efforts on Apple’s new Final Cut Pro X. The third-party effects maker has a lot to gamble with, since their entire business model is built around augmenting Final Cut Pro.<br /><br />“Our conclusion is that FCP X will be the best option for the largest number of professional editors going forward,” explains co-founder Gabe Cheifetz. “We have started to port all of our products to FCP X, and hope to have this complete by late summer 2011. We won’t be supporting another NLE.”<br /><br />While the move might be considered suicidal by video professionals angry that Apple has completely reworked their favorite non-linear editing software, CrumplePop makes a convincing argument in favor of Final Cut Pro X, even going so far as to <a href="http://www.crumplepop.com/?page_id=952" target="_blank">introduce their first third-party plug-in for Apple’s new wonder</a>.<br /><br />First and foremost, CrumplePop claims that FCPX users can stop worrying about codecs -- as later versions became increasingly more tech-minded, the latest version accepts pretty much everything you can throw at it. “This means that editors can now spend more time editing, and less time being video technicians,” Cheifetz explains.<br /><br />CrumplePop is also a big fan of FCPX’s 64-bit performance, allowing layers of filters and effects in real-time with no foreground rendering getting in the way. FCPX also “makes your existing hardware more valuable,” with the company’s dual-core iMacs and Mac mini front and center, but a 2007 Mac Pro also gained some new life with a $250 <a href="http://store.apple.com/us/product/MC742ZM/A" target="_blank">ATI Radeon HD 5770 graphics card available direct from Apple’s website</a>.<br /><br />Last but not least, FCPX offers an “open effects environment” thanks to Motion 5 being fully integrated into the software, allowing developers to purchase the $49 motion graphics program and “develop high-performance effects for Final Cut Pro X, without learning an API or even coding.”<br /><br />To celebrate their support of FCPX, CrumplePop is offering a new $75 effect called <a href="http://www.crumplepop.com/?page_id=952" target="_blank">Noir Moderne</a>, featuring 19 stylish, dark effects, three transitions and one royalty-free font for only $39 <a href="http://www.crumplepop.com/blog/?p=364" target="_blank">using a coupon code available on their blog</a> (scroll to the bottom to find it). Still on the fence about FCPX? The effect also supports Final Cut Pro 6 and 7, so you’ll have the best of both worlds as CrumplePop ramps up moving all of their existing effects over to FCPX by the end of this summer.<br /><br /><em>Follow this article’s author, <a href="http://www.twitter.com/JRBTempe" target="_blank">J.R. Bookwalter on Twitter</a></em></p><p>&nbsp;</p>http://www.maclife.com/article/news/crumplepop_introduces_noir_moderne_defends_final_cut_pro_x#commentsNewsBlogsCrumplePopDevelopersdigital videoFinal Cut Pro Xplug-insVideo Editing SoftwareMacTue, 19 Jul 2011 12:12:15 +0000J.R. Bookwalter11719 at http://www.maclife.comHow to Import Your Tumblr Blog into Wordpresshttp://www.maclife.com/article/howtos/how_import_your_tumblr_blog_wordpress
<!--paging_filter--><p>If you've been blogging at Tumblr for some time now, but are looking for something a little less microblogging meets Web 2.0, WordPress is the next best thing! Not only is it a highly customizable blogging tool, but you can also import your old Tumblr posts into your new WordPress blog. Read on to find out how to migrate your Tumblr posts to WordPress.<br /><br /></p><h3>1. Download Your Tumblr</h3><p>Tumblr 2 WordPress is a fabulously free service that does the guesswork for you. It's an online tool that creates a WXR (WordPress eXtended RSS) file from your Tumblr site, which can then be important into WordPress. And best of all, it actually works. <br /><br />To begin, scroll down to the Tumblr to WordPress Exporter module on the page.</p><p style="text-align: center;"><img src="/files/u307916/2011/9/ask/screen-shot-2011-07-01-at-9.17.28-am.jpg" width="558" height="480" /></p><p>Type in your Tumblr account. Under Content format select HTML, and under Permalinks you can decide how you'd like the external links to format. Since we can't actually import the photos and music files you might have posted on your Tumblr, you'll have to link back to the original blog post so that your blog entries still have some context. <br /><br />Further down, you can also decide whether or not you want the posts to be immediately published, comments to be enabled or disabled, or if people can link to your Tumblr-on-WordPress entries. <br /><br />When you've decided, hit Export". <br /><br /></p><h3>2. Join WordPress</h3><p style="text-align: center;"><img src="/files/u307916/2011/9/ask/screen-shot-2011-07-01-at-9.17.01-am.jpg" width="549" height="480" /></p><p>If you haven't already, start an account at WordPress. Walk through that process and meet us at step three. <br /><br /></p><h3>3. Import Your Tumblr Posts</h3><p>Head over to your WordPress Dashboard, available at the top under My Blogs.</p><p style="text-align: center;"><img src="/files/u307916/2011/9/ask/screen-shot-2011-07-01-at-9.29.06-am.jpg" width="159" height="119" /></p><p>Then, on the left-hand side of the screen, click on the Tools bar. After your browser takes you to that page, click on "Import". Select the option to import a WordPress export file.</p><p style="text-align: center;"><img src="/files/u307916/2011/9/ask/screen-shot-2011-07-01-at-9.35.09-am.jpg" width="600" height="416" /></p><p>Select the file from your hard drive. Then select Upload file and import.</p><p style="text-align: center;"><img src="/files/u307916/2011/9/ask/screen-shot-2011-07-01-at-9.35.14-am.jpg" width="620" height="190" /></p><p>WordPress will ask you to assign authors. Select your WordPress username from the drop down menu, and then select "Download and import file attachments." Click submit when you're done.</p><p style="text-align: center;"><img src="/files/u307916/2011/9/ask/screen-shot-2011-07-01-at-9.36.34-am.jpg" width="620" height="183" /></p><p>This could take awhile. So, please, grab a milkshake.<br /><br /></p><h3>4. Pimp Your New Blog</h3><p style="text-align: center;"><img src="/files/u307916/2011/9/ask/screen-shot-2011-07-01-at-9.46.45-am.jpg" width="500" height="200" /></p><p>When your import is finished, WordPress will send you a kind and friendly email that your blog is ready for pimpin'. This is perfect, because you've been waiting for this moment throughout this entire how-to.</p><p style="text-align: center;"><img src="/files/u307916/2011/9/ask/screen-shot-2011-07-01-at-9.51.27-am.jpg" width="620" height="430" /></p><p>Click the link. You'll notice that some of your photos might be missing -- it might be necessary for you to go through and either re-link or individually upload photos. But in essence, your Tumblr blog is there, right there, on your WordPress.</p>http://www.maclife.com/article/howtos/how_import_your_tumblr_blog_wordpress#commentsblogbloggingBlogsTumblrwordpressMacHow-TosFri, 01 Jul 2011 20:10:04 +0000Florence Ion11562 at http://www.maclife.comiCloud Announcement Creates Stormy Weather Over Blogospherehttp://www.maclife.com/article/news/icloud_announcement_creates_stormy_weather_over_blogosphere
<!--paging_filter--><p><img src="/files/u301404/icloud-icon-stormy.jpg" alt="icloud icon stormy" width="200" height="100" class="graphic-right" />Steve Jobs's announcement of Apple's up-and-coming iCloud service at last week's WWDC certainly made an impact on the Mac-using community. While the response seems to have been mostly positive, there appears to be dissent among the cognoscenti -- specifically in regard to the apparent lack of a web interface.</p><p>Prominent tech pundit Josh Topolsky, in the shared blog <a href="http://thisismynext.com/2011/06/13/icloud-apple-strategy-flaw/" target="_blank">This Is My Next</a>, has made the claim that "Your devices will become not just the <em>primary</em> place where Apple intends for you to do your work and get your content -- they’ll be the <em>only</em> place." However, this statement isn't supported by anything substantial from Apple itself, despite what he says earlier in the article about iCloud replacing MobileMe.</p><p>Furthermore, in his blog <a href="http://daringfireball.net/linked/2011/06/13/icloud-web-interface" target="_blank">Daring Fireball</a>, John Gruber calls this a "bad assumption", which is echoed by Jim Dalrymple in <a href="http://www.loopinsight.com/2011/06/14/icloud-will-have-a-web-based-interface/" target="_blank">The Loop</a>. The shared sentiment appears to be that not saying anything about a potential web interface, <em>a la</em> MobileMe, is not the same thing as saying there won't be one. It has been historically difficult to wrangle anything specific from Apple's PR department other than what they have gone on record as saying, so until we have confirmation one way or the other about this issue, we'll just have to sit back and wait.</p>http://www.maclife.com/article/news/icloud_announcement_creates_stormy_weather_over_blogosphere#commentsNewsBlogsBlogsiCloudJim Dalrymplejohn gruberJosh TopolskyTue, 14 Jun 2011 20:55:19 +0000Keoni Chavez11363 at http://www.maclife.comCiting Lack of Interest, Apple Pulls iAds from iOS Apps for Kidshttp://www.maclife.com/article/news/citing_lack_interest_apple_pulls_iads_ios_apps_kids
<!--paging_filter--><p><img src="/files/u220903/iad_steve_jobs_200px.jpg" alt="Steve Jobs introduces iAd" width="200" height="150" class="graphic-right" />iOS developers currently reaping the rewards of Apple’s iAd platform have apparently lost at least one target audience: Children. A new report claims that Apple has quietly removed iAds from all apps aimed at the little ones, citing “a lack of interest from advertisers.”<br /><br /><a href="http://www.appleinsider.com/articles/11/05/11/apple_pulls_iads_from_ios_software_geared_toward_children.html" target="_blank">AppleInsider is reporting</a> that at least one developer has discovered his kid-friendly app <a href="http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/dex-a-pokemon-browser/id385948562?mt=8" target="_blank">Dex: A Pokémon Browser</a> is no longer being served iAds after Apple decided to pull them from any such iOS apps. Developer Mike Zornek contacted Apple after realizing that his iAd fill rate had dropped to zero, and <a href="http://www.macstories.net/news/apple-stops-serving-iads-in-apps-targeted-to-kids/" target="_blank">according to MacStories</a>, he received bad news back from the company’s iAd Network Support.<br /><br />"We periodically review the apps in the iAd Network to ensure that all apps receiving ads are aligned with the needs of our advertisers," the reply explained. "Currently, our advertisers prefer that their advertising not appear in applications that are targeted for users that are young children, since their products are not targeted at that audience."<br /><br />The response <a href="http://blog.clickablebliss.com/2011/05/10/iad-policy-change-no-more-kid-focused-apps/" target="_blank">sent the frustrated developer to his blog</a>, where he warned fellow developers to “be careful putting all your eggs in one basket.” Zornek feels burned by the decision, since it came without warning or even a notification on the iAd developer website.<br /><br />"Apple should target their ads better," Zornek fumed on his blog. "I would have loved to have seen some ads that were better suited to kids in Dex. It's a shame they don't have the inventory to do so. However the manner in which they've made this policy change just stinks."<br /><br />Zornek had little choice but to turn to Google’s AdMob network for the Dex app, which reportedly has a “much higher” fill rate than iAd, despite the actual advertisements being worth more on iAd. <a href="http://www.appleinsider.com/articles/11/05/11/apple_pulls_iads_from_ios_software_geared_toward_children.html" target="_blank">AppleInsider notes</a> that iAd fill rates had “dropped significantly” earlier this year, with Apple having slashed their advertising rates in half in an effort to reverse the trend.<br /><br /><em>Follow this article’s author, <a href="http://www.twitter.com/JRBTempe" target="_blank">J.R. Bookwalter on Twitter</a></em><a href="http://www.twitter.com/JRBTempe" target="_blank"><br /><br /></a></p>http://www.maclife.com/article/news/citing_lack_interest_apple_pulls_iads_ios_apps_kids#commentsNewsadmobadvertisementsBlogsiAdiAdsiOS developersKidsmobile advertisingsupportiPadiPhoneiPodWed, 11 May 2011 13:21:47 +0000J.R. Bookwalter10920 at http://www.maclife.comHow To Get Social with Flipboard for iPadhttp://www.maclife.com/article/howtos/how_get_social_flipboard_ipad
<!--paging_filter--><p><img src="/files/u12635/flipboard_teaser.jpg" width="610" height="315" /></p><p>Despite some interesting first impressions from publishers, <a href="http://www.maclife.com/article/ipad/publishers_getting_cozy_flipboard" target="_blank">Flipboard</a> has proven itself as a very cool way to browse news and social networks on the iPad. The reader app lets you subscribe to various blogs, check up on your social networks, and just recently, given you the ability to peruse through your subscriptions in your Google Reader account. In this how-to, we'll show you how to maximize your social media use with Flipboard for iPad.</p><p>First of all, you'll need to download Flipboard from the App Store [iTunes link]. Once you've downloaded and installed Flipboard onto your iPad, navigate to the Contents page to get started.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><h3>1. Set up Facebook</h3><p>To set up Facebook, you can either tap on the Facebook content square that appears by default in the application's Contents section, or click on the "Add a Section" square.</p><p><a class="thickbox" href="/files/u12635/setup_facebook_step1.jpg"><img src="/files/u12635/setup_facebook_step1.jpg" width="610" height="458" class="thickbox" /></a></p><p>Once in the "Add a Section" pop up, tap on the Facebook selection. You'll be prompted to sign in to Facebook, then grant Flipboard access to your posts, new feed, and data.</p><p><a class="thickbox" href="/files/u12635/facebook_mainview_flipboard.jpg"><img src="/files/u12635/facebook_mainview_flipboard.jpg" width="610" height="458" class="thickbox" /></a></p><p>Once you've granted access to your Facebook account, Flipboard will begin displaying data from your Facebook news feed right in the Flipboard application. If you wish to see more content from Facebook, simply tap on the Facebook content square and a larger view will open. Swipe from right to left to navigate through the content, just as you would normally do in Flipboard.</p><p><a class="thickbox" href="/files/u12635/facebook_status_update.jpg"><img src="/files/u12635/facebook_status_update.jpg" width="610" height="458" class="thickbox" /></a></p><p>To update your status, click on the small writing icon in the top-right corner of the Facebook section in Flipboard. This will open up a new view that will allow you to post an update to Facebook and attach a photo or the current page you're viewing in Flipboard.</p><p><a class="thickbox" href="/files/u12635/facebook_sections_flipboard.jpg"><img src="/files/u12635/facebook_sections_flipboard.jpg" width="610" height="458" class="thickbox" /></a></p><p>To switch between the different sections of Facebook, tap on the Facebook logo in the top of the Facebook Flipboard section. This will pop down a list, letting you switch between News Feed, Your Wall, News Feed Photos, News Feed Links, Groups, Pages, and Friend Lists.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><h3>2. Set up Twitter</h3><p>Setting up Twitter in Flipboard is similar to the way we set up Facebook. You can either tap on the Twitter content square that is generated automatically in Flipboard, or tap on the "Add a Section" square, then Twitter.</p><p><a class="thickbox" href="/files/u12635/twitter_setup_1.jpg"><img src="/files/u12635/twitter_setup_1.jpg" width="610" height="458" class="thickbox" /></a></p><p>Doing either will pop open a "Sign in to Twitter" dialog. Enter your username and password, then click "Sign In."</p><p><a class="thickbox" href="/files/u12635/twitter_main_view.jpg"><img src="/files/u12635/twitter_main_view.jpg" width="610" height="458" class="thickbox" /></a></p><p>After you've entered your Twitter credentials, a Twitter content square will be created, letting you see your Twitter Timeline. Tap on the&nbsp; content square to see your full Twitter Timeline.</p><p><a class="thickbox" href="/files/u12635/twitter_update_status.jpg"><img src="/files/u12635/twitter_update_status.jpg" width="610" height="458" class="thickbox" /></a></p><p>If you wish to post an update to Twitter, tap on the small writing icon in the top-right of the Twitter view. From here, you can also attach a photo or the current page you're on.</p><p><a class="thickbox" href="/files/u12635/twitter_sections_.jpg"><img src="/files/u12635/twitter_sections_.jpg" width="610" height="458" class="thickbox" /></a></p><p>To switch between the different sections of Twitter, tap on the Twitter logo in the top of the Twitter Flipboard section. This will pop down a list, letting you switch between Your Timeline, Your Timeline Links, Your Tweets, Your Favorites, Tweets Mentioning You, and Your Lists.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><h3>3. Set up Google Reader</h3><p>New to Flipboard is the integration with Google Reader. You can now browse and read all of the subscriptions you may already have stored with your Google Account, right from Flipboard.</p><p><a class="thickbox" href="/files/u12635/googleread_setup1.jpg"><img src="/files/u12635/googleread_setup1.jpg" width="610" height="458" class="thickbox" /></a></p><p>To set up your Google Reader account inside of Flipboard, navigate to the Contents section again and press the square labeled, "Add a Section." Once there, tap on the Google Reader item. You will then be prompted for your Google account credentials.</p><p><a class="thickbox" href="/files/u12635/googlereader_mainview.jpg"><img src="/files/u12635/googlereader_mainview.jpg" width="610" height="458" class="thickbox" /></a></p><p>Once you have signed in, a new content square will be added called Google Reader. Tapping this square will bring you into the Google Reader main view for Flipboard. From here, you can browse all of the latest news from the RSS feeds you subscribe to in Google Reader by simply flipping through it like you would a book.</p><p><a class="thickbox" href="/files/u12635/googlereader_sections.jpg"><img src="/files/u12635/googlereader_sections.jpg" width="610" height="458" class="thickbox" /></a></p><p>To skip between the different sections in Google Reader, tap on the Google Reader text in the Flipboard menu bar. You will be given a pop up with the following options: All Items, Your Shared Items, Your Starred Items, People You Follow, Individual People You Follow, and Subscriptions. Tapping on any of these headings will take you to that section in Google Reader.</p><p><a class="thickbox" href="/files/u12635/googlereader_addnewnote.jpg"><img src="/files/u12635/googlereader_addnewnote.jpg" width="610" height="458" class="thickbox" /></a></p><p>While browsing through your subscriptions in Google Reader, Flipboard lets you create new notes just as you can in the Google Reader web interface. Simply tap on the small writing icon in the top-right corner of the application. When you do, a new note window will drop down, letting you write a new note and attach a photo or current page.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><h3>4. Set up Flickr</h3><p>Setting up Flickr is just as easy as the other services have been. Simply navigate back to the "Add a Section" square, then tap on Flickr.</p><p><a class="thickbox" href="/files/u12635/2010/12/flickr_setup2-1.jpg"><img src="/files/u12635/2010/12/flickr_setup2-1.jpg" width="610" height="458" class="thickbox" /></a></p><p>You'll be prompted to sign in using your Yahoo ID, then you'll be asked to grant Flickr account access to Flipboard. Click the OK, I'll Authorize It button to continue.</p><p><a class="thickbox" href="/files/u12635/flickr_browsing_flipboard.jpg"><img src="/files/u12635/flickr_browsing_flipboard.jpg" width="610" height="458" class="thickbox" /></a></p><p>Once authorized, Flipboard will create a new square called Flickr. Tapping on this square will bring you to a full screen Flickr-browsing page inside of Flipboard. From here, you'll be able to browse through the photos in your Flickr stream.</p><p><a class="thickbox" href="/files/u12635/flickr_sections_flipboard.jpg"><img src="/files/u12635/flickr_sections_flipboard.jpg" width="610" height="458" class="thickbox" /></a></p><p>To move between the different areas of Flickr, tap on the Flickr text in the menu bar of Flipboard. This will pop down a list of sections you can browse, including: Your Contacts, Your Photostream, Your Favorites, Interestingness, and Groups.</p><p>Unfortunately, Flipboard doesn't yet give you the ability to upload photos to Flickr from their application. You can still update your status for Twitter, Facebook, and add Google Reader notes from this section, however.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><h3>5. Creating a Content Square Based on Search Terms</h3><p>Because Flipboard is a social-driven content aggregation client, the way you add custom content squares to Flipboard is by specifying a person, list, or blog that can be found on Twitter.&nbsp;</p><p>To create a new content square based on a person, list, or blog on Twitter, navigate to the "Add a Section" pop up and select the "Add a Custom Section" button.</p><p><a class="thickbox" href="/files/u12635/custom1_flipboard.jpg"><img src="/files/u12635/custom1_flipboard.jpg" width="610" height="458" class="thickbox" /></a></p><p>The resulting view will let you search for a specific term using the search box at the top of the page, or you can select from the People, Blogs, Twitter Users, and Twitter Lists that Flipboard suggests.</p><p><a class="thickbox" href="/files/u12635/custom2_flipboard.jpg"><img src="/files/u12635/custom2_flipboard.jpg" width="610" height="458" class="thickbox" /></a></p><p>When searching, a list below the search box will be populated with the results of the search. Tap on any of the results in the list to instantly create a square based on that content.</p><p><a class="thickbox" href="/files/u12635/custom3_flipboard.jpg"><img src="/files/u12635/custom3_flipboard.jpg" width="610" height="458" class="thickbox" /></a></p><p>Tapping on the square will reveal the links and other content that is posted to Twitter.</p><p>Unfortunately, this is where Flipboard starts falling apart in terms of the ability to customize the content viewed within the application. You cannot add custom RSS feeds to create a content square. Because of this shortcoming in the application, you will need to add the feed you want to view in Flipboard to your Google Reader account. The feed will then be viewable through the Google Reader content square.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p><em>Follow this article's author, <a href="http://twitter.com/coryb" target="_blank">Cory Bohon on Twitter</a></em>.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p>http://www.maclife.com/article/howtos/how_get_social_flipboard_ipad#commentsApp StoreBlogsFacebookFlickrFlipboardGoogle ReaderRSSSocial MediaTumblrTwitteriPadHow-TosFri, 17 Dec 2010 00:37:44 +0000Cory Bohon9249 at http://www.maclife.com